Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-07-09
THE JAPANESE PRISON SYSTEM.
Mr.. r. Baba Asserts that His Devcrip.
ton was a Strict Statement Of Fact.

To the Editor Of The EVENING STAR:
Ihave read with great curiosity a very vague and
arbitrary assertion made by a person calling him.
self Ninomya, and processing to be q japanese In
regard to the japanese prison system. BY a letter.
which is supported neither by experience nor 6y
fact, he endeavors TO contradict what wrote In
your paper OF the 25th uitimo. He evidently knows
nothing OF the subject about which he writes
What stated in my communication is simple fact
and the result OF my own experience and observa-
ton. That is 10 say, described the construction
and sanitary arrangement OF the prison, the
arrangement for bathing, the treatment and mode
OF punishment OF prisoners, the procedure OF the
secret court, and stated the number OF cages a
prisoners and officers, and the quantity and
quality OF food, drink, ana clothing. But Mr.
Ninomiya bases his argument simply on his
Imagination and thus what he says has no weight
whatever against a strict statement OF fact like
mine, which can be testified TO by many OF my
friends who are travelling In this country and by
others In Europe.
country, but these prisons are paradses compared
with the nlthy japanese prison. IL is an estab-
llshed fact well known 10 every educated
Japanese, that the present japanese government
does not recognize any difference between politi-
cal and common Offenders This was proved In
the recent case OF Kono and seven Others. who
were punished by seven years imprisonment, for
q political offenSe. They were arrested In the
district OF Fukusima with about nifty others and
conveyed to the same prison IA kajDashL They
were scattered through the whole prison, as IL Is
the rule OF the japanese prison never TO Keep Two
accomplices IN one cage Iney "efe al placed IN
worst character, and were treated La the same
AGAIN. MI. Ninomiya shows his utter ignorance
OF criminal procedure when he attempts TO justify
the Japanese secret court by saying that such q
system exists In European countries. such Sc
threatened by a Judge, deceived by false promises
OF mercy or sometimes tortured by being made TO
stand hours and hours IN severe winter With iron
does not exist In any civilized European country,
nor is IL possible to keep prisoner there In secret
confinement six months, one year or three years
without a public trial But IL is true that such
secret court once existed In France and was called
the Bastie. The chief commissioned police stood
In exactly the same position as a judge OF a secret
court In Japan. But that time has passed, and no
such thing exists now. IL has ever been and still
Eee mi up an appearance in everything and to pre-.
serve serious existing evils or abuses under the
coat OF superficial refinement They think that by
hiding these evils from the European public they
Will be able to impose on the supposed credulity
OF the European powers, and thus succeed IN %.
curing the concessions they desire.
The same idea is clearly rejected In Mr.. Nino-
miyas letter. But this viii DO more harm than
good TO the japanese people. Deception and
out freely ana frankly 70 admit ali existing imper-
fections In Japan, and 70 show our energy and
earnestnes 3 In renovlng These imperiecsions
ming the confidence of honorable ana cultured peo-
pie In all countries But II the Japanese cabinet
%Domys II concesns the TRUTH e @ S ny NE Ds
long before the japanese government VIII utterly
and entirely forfeit all confidence and sympathy
OF the civilized European powers 4. BIBA
fStnce the publication Of MI Babas original
article and the reply TO it TIE STAB has received
other correspondence, from which Il appears that
the experiences OF other japanese In the native
prisons establish the accuracy OF Ar. BabaS a.
scriptions-ED. srAkl
AT the meeting Of the frst assembly oistr,rt.
united labor party. IN New YORK, TUESDAY night
the Rev. DR.. Edward NcGlynn was elected a deis
gate 70 the national convention r. eyracnss q